this morning, powerful explosions caught on camera. >> a series of blasts lighting up the night sky. evacuating a busy port. and there are injuries. it's all unfolding right now. new details overnight in the boston bombings. were the brothers big apple-bound after those bombings? new questions, as the suspects' parents are set to arrive in the u.s. classroom brawl. but this wasn't between two students. one of the women you see there is a teacher. who's really to blame here? and it's opening day for a former president back in the spotlight to open his library. talking to abc news about the news and his newest passion, painting. good thursday morning, everybody.

there are possible, new clues today, as investigators try to piece together evidence in the boston bombings. >> overnight, agents found a stash of fireworks in a used clothing donation bin not far from the shoot-out. fbi technicians hauled the bins away by truck. they're now poring over the explosions for any possible links. >> with more on the far-reaching investigation, we're joined by abc's devin dwyer. good morning, devin. >> reporter: good morning, john. good morning, diana. we're learning some new details this morning about how the suspected bombers tried to flee boston. officials say they may have had plans to party in new york city. these dramatic, new photos show the brothers tsaranev in a gun battle with police, moments before the older, tamerlan, was killed in the street, as the younger, dzhokhar, escaped to that backyard boat. their only weapon, officials say, was a 9 millimeter handgun. this morning, the tsaranev parents told the russian news agency, they're headed to the u.s. to claim tamerlan's body. u.s. intelligence agencies say after a russian tip in 2011,

tamerlan was added to a terrorist watch list. but officials say the system had insufficient information to raise alarms. >> we contacted the russians on three, different occasions to ask for more information. and nothing was forthcoming. >> reporter: in boston, more signs the city is trying to move on. crowds visited memorials at the bomb site, as local businesses repaired scars from the blast. at nearby hospitals, 34 wounded victims are still recovering. carlos arredondo, that man in the cowboy hat, was reunited with the man he saved. >> i saw jeff in a big puddle of blood. and he was missing two limbs. you got to do the best you can. >> reporter: across town, thousands of mourners hailed a hero who didn't survive. slain m.i.t. police officer, sean collier. >> if the purpose of terrorism is to instill fear, you saw none of it here in boston. boston, you sent a powerful message to the world.

>> reporter: now, dzhokhar tsaranev, who faces the death penalty, will have an all-star legal defense team. his top lawyer, a public defender, also represented shoe bomber richard reed in 2001. john and diana? >> we heard that dzhokhar is being cooperative with authorities in providing details about the plot. will that information be admissible in court? >> reporter: well, authorities say much of the information they've gotten from dzhokhar has come out before he was formally charged on monday. that means, it came out. he confessed to these details before he was read his constitutional rights, the so-called miranda warning. it's unclear if that information those details will be admissible in a criminal trial. but officials say they may not need it. they have plenty of other evidence. diana and john? >> all right. devin dwyer from boston. thank you. one more note from boston. we've learned that tamerlan tsaranev's widow was arrested for shoplifting in 2007. police say katherine russell stole $67 worth of clothing from a rhode island old navy.

the charge was dismissed after she completed community service and gave $200 to a victim's fund. and now, to that breaking news. a fiery scene in the port of mobile, alabama, overnight. two barges erupted in flames after a series of explosions. the barges were being prepared for loading with raw gasoline. three people were critically injured. nearby shipyards were evacuated, including crew onboard the carnival "triumph." that's the same cruise ship that was set adrift by an engine room fire in february. it was in mobile for repairs, with hundreds of workers onboard. as for the barge fire, officials say it's just too dangerous to battle it. so, they plan to let the flames burn themselves out. also burning overnight, an enormous mulch pile in maryland, dwarfing the fire trucks called to the scene. more than 100 firefighters arrived to tackle the flames. shifting winds and a lack of water were making it a challenge. because the fire is in a remote area, few buildings are threatened. the fire broke out at a garbage and recycling center. the damage done to homes and businesses by that explosion at

the fertilizer plant in texas, estimated to top $100 million. investigators still haven't figured out what caused the blast in the town of west. the president and first lady attended a memorial service for the 14 victims. they'll do that later today at baylor university in waco. but before that, president obama will be in dallas today, for the opening of george w. bush's presidential library. mr. obama and the first lady arrived there last night. then, they headlined a big democratic fund-raiser. for more on that, and what's ahead for today, here's abc's brandi hitt. >> reporter: four years after leaving office, former president george w. bush will gather with thousands in dallas today, for the dedication of his presidential library and museum. >> i've decided to stay out of the limelight, because, one, i'm comfortable with that decision. and, two, i don't want to undermine our president. >> reporter: in his first exclusive interview with abc news, the 43rd president described the $250 million

center on texas' smu campus, that looks back on his life and career, including many tumultuous times as president. from 9/11, to hurricane katrina. and the wars in afghanistan and iraq, where the museum points out, there were no weapons of mass destruction. >> as far as i'm concerned, the debate is over. i did what i did. and historians will ultimately judge those decisions. >> reporter: the president wants museumgoers to face the tough choices he made. through interactive exhibits with deadlines and ticking clocks. pushing partisan politics aside, former presidents jimmy carter, george h.w. bush, bill clinton and president obama are scheduled to attend today's ceremony. held in front of the brick and limestone complex laura bush helped design. there are also many statues on display, including this one, the 43rd president commissioned of father and son. >> i wouldn't be sitting here without his unconditional love. and it gives me great comfort to know that he will be by my side

for eternity. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc news, dallas. >> our thanks to brandi there. all of the living former presidents will be there today, as will some of their family members, including jeb bush and hillary clinton, two possible contenders for the white house in 2016. an interesting day, indeed. and we'll have more from mr. bush and his newest hobby, coming up. >> his newest hobby. pretty fascinating. >> yes, it is. let's look at the weather across the nation. could be in for a wet morning along the east coast. heavy rain in the carolinas. showers possible in kansas. rain in southern texas and along the eastern great lakes. snowshowers in northern michigan. >> a stretch of the midwest is still chillier than normal. but spring-like temperatures, most everywhere else. 71 in l.a. 69 in denver. 73 in atlanta. and 64 in new york city. and it's a summer-like 88 degrees in orlando. coming up this morning, detecting autism risks in the womb. and how that could lead to better treatment. and flier outrage, as airline fees skyrocket once again. which carriers are charging you

more? and scare on the busy sidewalk. how this crash happened in the middle of the afternoon.

mostly higher fees from two air carriers as we begin the summer travel season. united changing its ticket fee to $200 from $150. the $50-hike covers the reserve seat. most of the airlines are mazing the fee on most international routes. >> they're strapped for cash, right? despite battery problems on

the dreamliner, boeing is posting strong profits to begin the year. shares have jumped 3%. economists point to strong sales of other aircraft. on the ground, ford is doing even better. shares are up 15%. the irs overpaid taxpayers more than $11 billion in refunds last year, according to the treasury department. at least 21%, using the earned income tax credit received extra money. the government has no plans to ask for the money back. complex tax laws and determining who is eligible for the credit are being blamed. check it out. the $100 bill there, a new look. making it more difficult for counterfeiters to copy it. there's more color, a blue 3d security ribbon. the greenback is two years behind schedule. you'll start seeing that beginning in october. and a british college student has landed a summer job that he and everyone else calls

a dream. seth smith will test water slides for a resort company after he entered a competition and won. for six months, the 22-year-old will be flown to 20 different cities around the entire world, rating the most exhilarating chutes. and he'll be paid for it, more than $30,000. that sounds better than being a financial actuary, which happened to be named the best job of the year. >> that's got to be a good gig. you know, he looks like he's having fun. he has the smile on his face. >> i'll take that job in a heartbeat. next on this wednesday, the classroom brawl between student and teacher. the debate about who's to blame here. and new details on the search for whomever sent a poison-laced letter to the president. we'll be right back. at university of phoenix we know the value of your education is where it can take you. [now arriving: city hospital]

which is why we're proud to help connect our students with leading employers across the nation. [next stop financial center] for her whites. that part's true. [ female announcer ] real fruit flavors. real tea leaves. and real honey. lipton tea & honey, it's all here. ♪

feel the refreshing taste of lipton tea & honey. i'my body doesn't work feel the way it used to.e past my prime? i'm a victim of a slowing metabolism? i don't think so. new great grains protein blend. protein from natural ingredients like seeds and nuts. it helps support a healthy metabolism. new great grains protein blend. wow. a very close call here. two women in brooklyn nearly run down by an out-of-control

minivan slamming into a deli. surveillance cameras capture the van as it nearly struck a worker inside. thankfully, though, nobody was seriously injured. now, for a look at morning road conditions. could be a wet one in the i-95 corridor in the east. slow going around corpus christi, as well. icy roads in michigan's upper peninsula. >> if you're flying no weather-related airport delays to speak of this morning. but there's those sequester-related delays to watch out for. and now, back to the news. dozens of towns along swollen rivers from wisconsin to louisiana, are in flood warnings this morning. >> in peoria, the illinois river rose to its highest level in 70 years. floodwaters destroyed at least 200 homes in the small town of marseil marseilles. debris piled higher than people in some areas. a second man from mississippi is under scrutiny this morning as investigators try to track down the source of letters laced with ricin that were sent to president obama and two other politicians. fbi agents searched the studio of martial arts instructor james

dutschke one day after combing through his ho but no charges have been filed. dutschke had an ongoing feud with paul kevin curtis, the initial suspect who has now been cleared. same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in rhode island beginning this august. the state senate voted yesterday to allow same-sex marriages. rhode island becomes the final state in new england to do so. this was the risque or one of the risque photos that cost former new york congressman anthony weiner his job. and now, he admits he can't guarantee there aren't others out there. he says that it's possible other women may come forward to say he sent them inappropriate texts and tweets. he's considering a run for mayor of new york. country singer legend glen campbell appeared before a senate committee on alzheimer's research. but it was his daughter, ashley, who addressed the senators because the disease has largely disabled her father. she spoke emotionally about her memories of him, like going fishing and playing banjo on his band. >> now, when i play banjo with

my dad, it's getting harder for him to follow along. and it's getting harder for him to recall my name. >> ashley campbell asked congress to help fund a search for a cure, on behalf of all families living with the pain of alzheimer's. a new test may be able to predict an infant's risk of developing autism. researchers at yale says looking at the abnormal folds of the placenta could be an indicator of the disorder. knowing the risks could increase the possibility of treatment. it could provide important genetic clues. a high school math teacher and one of her students have been pulled from the classroom after a wild fistfight. and the shocking confrontation was captured on another student's cell phone. this started when the teacher took away makeup from the ninth grader, seen in the blue top. 15-year-old marlena martinez says the teacher pushed her first. >> i know i did wrong by going up to her and trying to get my stuff. but from the get-go, she should

have pushed the panic button. >> the button she's referring to is a panic button in every classroom. martinez's been suspended. the teacher's on administrative leave. now, to sports. and this year's nfl draft begins tonight, right here in new york. some of the top prospects waved to fans from the radio city music call marquee yesterday. as for last night's nba playoff action, here's espn with the highlights. >> good morning. and welcome to your espn news update. i'm zubin mehenti. the lakers and rockets are halfway to being swept, right out of the nba playoffs. which means, the thunder and spurs are halfway to moving on. kevin durant, huge shot. he had 29. but the biggest shot of the game, in a back-and-forth game. nothing like game one, which was a complete oklahoma city rout, was not scored by durant. it was assisted by durant. thabo sefolosha getting it to go. thunder win. they're up two, two games in. lakers and spurs, kinda know the feeling. san antonio, looking to maintain

that home court edge. kobe didn't tweet during the game. of course, didn't play during the game. and spurs taking full advantage. dwight howard didn't play much during the game, either. had some foul difficulty. when he hit his fourth foul, went to the bench. the lane opened up. the lakers just had nobody to alter shots. spurs taking advantage, specifically tony parker, to the rack. almost too easy, as was the win. best finish in the baseball season coming in queens last night. tied at 3-3. bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth. no doubt about it. jordany valdespin, winning it in grand fashion. a walkoff grand slam. and the new york mets beat the dodgers 7-3. a little dessert to boot, shaving cream pie. dramatic fashion. great night in the world of sports, in the bigs and the nba, where the playoffs will resume tonight. that's your espn update. i'm zubin mehenti. have a great thursday. >> you hit a grand slam and get a pie in the face. >> i love it.

up next, "the pulse." megastar mark wahlberg with his surprising plan to help his hometown. and the foul-mouthed anchor man is now getting a turn on national television. we'll be right back. boom. heart attack. i'm a nurse and a care giver. never once did i consider that i might be having a heart attack. it can happen to anyone at any time. the doctor recommends bayer aspirin to keep this from happening to me again. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. it's working. six years and counting. know the symptoms. talk to your doctor. ( birds chirping ) exceptionally smooth with a harmonious blend of flavor and aroma. green mountain coffee for your keurig brewer. brew a better day.

all right.

time, now, to check "the pulse." we begin with a story that i know i'm going to be talking about for the entire day. it's about the guy who got himself fired for cursing on the air on his very first day of his television news anchor. >> by now you probably know the story of a.j. clemente. he was anchoring in bismarck, north dakota, when his open mic caught hip using foul language. last night, he was on david letterman's show. and this is where we pick up the story. >> by my third break, my news director walks in. she says, we need to apologize. we all say, for what? and obviously, i apologized. and i'm still apologizing. i shouldn't have said the words to begin with. but it was a perfect storm of a whole bunch of mistakes. >> clemente also appeared on "live with kelly & michael." they offered him a new job covering a movie premiere, interviewing stars on the red carpet. and he accepted. >> i wondered what i had to do to be on letterman and "kelly & michael." now, i have my answer. >> let it fly. >> no.

>> no? >> no. this morning, one of hollywood's hottest stars have good reason to say to all of her haters on twitter, don't hate me because i'm beautiful. >> it must be great to say that. a week after being named the most hated celebrity, gwyneth paltrow has been crowned the world's most beautiful woman. "people" magazine recognizing her accomplishment and good looks, as well. the 40-year-old oscar winner admits when she was told about it, she thought it was a joke. >> last night, paltrow proved her beauty doesn't stop at her face. i think we all knew this. she turned heads at the "iron man 3" premiere, with a sheer paneled gown. leaving very little to the imagination. >> why is everybody so down on her? >> i have no idea. they call her ice princess. i like her. let's talk about a funky bunch reunion in mark wahlberg's future. >> mark wahlberg said he would be willing to get back together with his band for a once in a lifetime concert to benefit the boston bombing victims. >> diana, i know you're a fan.

we mentioned this in the meeting. >> look at him. and there are some people who haven't tasted it yet. delicious, nonfat, authentic greek strained yogurt. extraordinary fruit flavors. the fage total split cup. plain extraordinary." i just stick the bar in the dryer like this, and it freshens my laundry for me so i don't have to think. wait. what was the question? [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce? [ man ] stick it and forget it. of mild to moderate alzheimer's disease is exelon patch. now with more treatment options, exelon patch may improve overall function and cognition. your loved one can get a free 30-day trial.

and you can have access to nurses. it does not change how the disease progresses. hospitalization, and rarely death, have been reported from wearing more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fall, loss of appetite or weight, application site redness, and urinary tract infection. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases or if patients weigh less than 110 pounds. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor as serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. patients may experience slow heart rate. free trial offer for them. nurses to talk to for you. . ♪

>> live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. >> good thursday morning. it is 4:28. thank you for joining us. >> first up, a check on the weather trust. a little more chilly this morning. >> you notice the cloud cover and cool breezes and the lack of rain. maybe drizzle at higher elevations as you bump into the clouds and marine laser 3,000' deep. temperatures from 49 at santa rosa and the rest of us in the low-to-mid 50's and oakland is 58. this afternoon it will be sunny inland but from 62 in the north bay to 74 in the east bay valley. we are in the mid-50's at the coast under clouds and around the bay we will go from 59 in san francisco to 68 in fremont.

leyla gulen? >> at the toll plaza on the bay bridge traffic is moving well. looking good into san francisco. over to the maze, how is it coming through berkeley to 580? we are not sighing too many out here. there is a good flow toward the bay bridge with eastbound 80 not doing too shabby and finally a look at the san mateo bridge where traffic is moving smoothly as you make it out of hayward into foster city. >> developing news from oakland where we expect to learn more today of a series of raids in the east bay by oakland police and the f.b.i. serving warrants at 16 different locations. abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is in oakland. >> we got new information overnight. this is what we know. it was an intense operation

involving the f.b.i. and oakland police department and residents were very confused and some were forced from their homes. oakland police served 16 high-risk narcotics and weapons-related search warrants. police threw grenades into the apartment building at 7th last night in oakland and residents describe chaos. >> i heard the "boom." i ran outside. my kid was outside playing. i got to the lobby there were so many police in the lobby they put me up against the wall and asked if i had any guns and i said i was looking for my kid. police made several arrests and recovered weapons and drugs. no one was hurt in the operation. they worked into the night and does not wrap up until 1:00 o'clock this morning. they served warrants in hayward, san leandro and antioch. police have said